Education requirements

The following requirements must be met to be eligible to take the CPA exam in Virginia. All requirements are also explained in the VBOA Education Handbook.

Exam candidates must obtain from one or more accredited institutions:

• At least 120 semester hours of education
• Baccalaureate or higher degree with an accounting concentration or equivalent

An accounting concentration or equivalent is comprised of:

• 24 semester hours of accounting courses: including courses in accounting information systems, auditing, financial accounting, and taxation (referred to as Core Accounting Courses)
• 24 semester hours of business courses: no more than six semester hours of VBOA accepted upper-level accounting courses can be included (must be in addition to the 24 semester hours of accounting courses above)

Note 1: No more than 3 semester hours of introductory/foundational accounting as determined by the VBOA is allowed toward the required accounting coursework. The course number or name does not always dictate whether a course is considered an introductory or foundational accounting course.

Note 2: Anyone who holds 1) a bachelor’s degree in accounting or another VBOA approved business- related major and 2) a master’s or more advanced degree in accounting, tax or accounting information systems from an accredited college or university or the equivalent thereof, will be deemed eligible to sit for the exam. 150 semester hours are required for ultimate licensure.

Note 3: The VBOA accepts courses for which quarter hours are earned. The semester hour equivalent can be calculated by dividing the total number of quarter hours by 1.5.

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Core Accounting Courses

Course subjects required are:

• Accounting Information Systems
• Auditing
• Financial Accounting
• Taxation

Examples of other accounting courses accepted toward the accounting requirement include, but are not limited to:

• Accounting Analytics
• Accounting Internship
• Accounting Seminar
• Accounting Theory
• Advanced Accounting
• Assurance Services
• Cost/Managerial Accounting
• Federal Taxation
• Forensic Accounting
• Fund Accounting
• Government Accounting and Reporting
• Government/Not-For-Profit Accounting
• Information Systems Assurance and Advisory
• Other accounting-centric courses with content areas included in the Uniform CPA Examination Blueprint as approved by the VBOA

Examples of courses accepted toward the business requirement in the subjects of Business Information Technology, Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing, and Statistics include, but are not limited to:

• Business Communications
• Business Law
• Commercial Law
• Data Analytics
• Financial Management
• Information Systems or Technology
• Insurance
• Investments
• Legal Environment of Business
• Organizational Behavior
• Quantitative Methods
• Other business-centric courses with content areas included in the Uniform CPA Examination Blueprint as approved by the VBOA

As previously stated, no more than six semester hours of VBOA accepted upper-level accounting courses can be considered business courses (must be in addition to the 24 semester hours of accounting courses above).

Candidates are encouraged to use the Education Handbook to evaluate the education needed to qualify for the CPA exam.

Accredited institutions

The VBOA recognizes institutions accredited by one of the following accrediting agencies or their successors:

1. Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
2. New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)
3. Higher Learning Commission
4. Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
5. Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
6. WASC Senior College and University Commission
7. Any organization recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).

If an accrediting organization is not listed above, it may be approved by the VBOA after it demonstrates its accreditation process and standards are substantially equivalent to the accreditation process and standards of the above major regional accrediting organizations.

The accrediting agency website should list accredited institutions. Contact an unlisted institution directly to determine if it is accredited through one of the recognized accrediting agencies. Many institutions list the accreditation on the back of their transcripts.

• VBOA’s Guidelines for Accreditation of Educational Institutions

Education earned outside the United States

The VBOA will consider a degree or coursework earned at a non-accredited institution located outside of the United States, once the degree or coursework is evaluated by an education evaluation firm.

Online institutions

The VBOA recognizes an online institution if it is accredited through one of the recognized accrediting agencies.